


No Cause for Concern

by Blizzaurus



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: And disapproving looks, And he is not happy about it, Cue an extreme burst of protectiveness, F/M, Fluff, Including Jackson, Jackson's POV, Lots of disapproving looks, at all, everyone can see it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-13
Updated: 2018-03-13
Packaged: 2019-03-31 01:30:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13964433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blizzaurus/pseuds/Blizzaurus
Summary: Jackson finally sees what everyone else had been aware of for months — Kane is in love with Abby. Jackson has some issues with that.Tooth-rotting fluff set between season 2 and 3.





	No Cause for Concern

It was embarrassing how long it took Jackson to realize Kane might love Abby, and even more embarrassing was the fact that only some roasted quail made him finally even suspect it. 

And it was not even the bird itself, but Bellamy's teasing comment about it.

He was sitting with Bellamy, his girlfriend, and some other delinquents by the rover. He would have preferred company he actually felt comfortable in, but alas, all of his previous acquaintances had not made it down with the Ark. Even if it was a bit awkward to eat with people who were ten years younger and probably couldn't recall his first name with a gun to their heads, it would have to suffice until he made some actual friends on the ground.

"Looks good," Gina smiled, looking at his plate.

"It does," Jackson mumbled, mouth full of roasted bird. He'd hardly had any time to eat during the day due to the massive influx of the patients so this was his only proper meal for the day. His eyes had almost watered as he had seen the quail being cooked at the healer's campfire.

His attention shifted to the rather poor, grey serving Bellamy had on his plate.

"How come you only have canned goods?" he asked carefully.

"Didn't have time to go hunting today," Bellamy said, shrugging. He took a bite of the greasy Ark-packaged cube which made Jackson furrow his brow.

"I don't even hunt," Jackson replied. "But there's always something cooking by the healer's fire when I finish up for the day. Are you telling me it's not the same with the Guard?"

Bryan, who was sitting close by, rolled his eyes at him. "Unlike you _healers_ , we actually have to take care of our own food. We only get meat if we hunt it for ourselves while you get a good helping of it every day without lifting a finger. As if a guard didn't need much more protein— "

Nate gave his boyfriend a shove to silence him. He was always nice to Jackson. Potential friend material.

Jackson glanced down at his portion in confusion. He has never been aware of this privilege. 

Bellamy quirked his brow and gave him an amused smile. "Don't you know where your food comes from?"

Now Jackson was a little bit embarrassed. "It was just always there..."

Bryan sneered. "Sometimes I wish Abby was with the Guard instead of medical. Then we would get our bellies full every day and we'd actually appreciate it!"

"What are you talking about?"

This made Bellamy smirk. "You don't know, do you?" 

"No. How does getting to eat meat have to do with Abby?"

Gina made me a brief _aaaaaww_  sound at Jackson's ignorance. She and Bellamy exchanged amused looks which made the sinking feeling of outsiderness resurge in Jackson's stomach.

"The reason why you get fed instead of us is _Kane_. He goes hunting every day. Today he brought in that quail which automatically went to the medical instead of, you know, his own men..." There was a hint of bitterness in Bryan's voice.

"I don't understand, why would he single out medical?"

Bellamy attempted to hide his smile behind his sleeve. "Perhaps because of the _head_ of medical?"

Jackson's eyes widened in realization and Bellamy gave him a congratulative smack on the back. "That's right. He goes hunting for Dr. Griffin."

"His lady love," Bryan drawled.

Jackson kept shaking his head. "No, it's not like that. She's the Chancellor, remember? Maybe she ordered him to do that, or maybe it's done out of loyalty or respect or..."

Bellamy and Gina both looked at him like he had gotten hit in the head.

"What the hell are you blabbering about? Have you even caught a glimpse of him recently? I haven't witnessed a more desperate case since..."

"Since you met me," Gina quipped. Bellamy draped his hand over her shoulder, laughing, and they continued the conversation amongst themselves in hushed, adoring tones.

Jackson could understand their viewpoint, but it was _Kane_. Jackson had spent years by Abby's side while the man had relentlessly pursued her. And not in a romantic fashion, but in the brutal "spare me one dirty look and I'll throw you out of the airlock" way. It would be hard to believe that somewhere between the arrests and the raids into medical he would've developed feelings for her. And Jackson could at least attest that Abby didn't feel the same way. He had heard too many vivid descriptions of the ways she would like to strangle him to believe any of that.

Jackson let out a small snort. No, it couldn't be possible. 

However, his mind returned to the moment when Abby had been carried back to Arkadia. Jackson had been so distressed to see her in this state that he couldn't remember much of what happened after his initial glimpse of her, but it hadn't escaped his attention that Kane had been glued to her side, her small fingers clasped within his. As Jackson had started fussing over her, he remembered being faintly annoyed at Kane's instince to stay by her side. He had been kneeling beside her, rubbing comforting circles with his thumb over her knuckles and looking at her with something akin to gentle reverence.

Jackson reconsidered. Maybe they weren't enemies anymore, that much was clear. But that didn't mean it was any less ludicrous that there was something between them, something enough to warrant Kane take his time and energy to feed the whole medical in order to please Abby.

Bellamy tapped on his shoulder, waking him up from his trance. He smiled and pointed at something in the distance. Jackson's eyes followed his gesture to the place where Abby and Kane were sitting. They seemed to be in midst of a lively conversation, Abby nibbling at her share of the quail while Kane intently watched that she ate. He only had some vegetables on his plate.

Jackson supposed that there was nothing abnormal that the Chancellor and her confidante were sitting together and talking. He was just about to tell this to Bellamy when Abby let out a laugh and placed her hand on Kane's knee. 

She seemed to be unaware of this tiny gesture because she continued talking with twinkling eyes, looking somewhere in the distance, completely unaware of the way Kane's eyes were firmly fixed on the palm resting on her knee. He couldn't stop staring at her thin fingers as if they were the most astonishing of sights. 

Abby eventually withdrew her hand to join her other in animated gesticulation while Kane still couldn't stop looking at the place where her hand had just been. It was as if she had branded him, and he couldn't avert his gaze away from the painful mark. He even looked pained before he eventually gathered enough courage to meet her gaze. Abby smiled at him and said something, and Kane attempted a feeble smile back. After a moment she rose to go talk to some other people, leaving him alone. Kane lowered his plate from his lap and brushed his knuckles over his knee, in the very same place Abby had just caressed him. He looked _miserable._

Jackson was suddenly forced to swallow a large gulp that formed in his throat.

"Oh my god," he said to aloud. Bellamy chuckled at his response.

"He's a goner," he said and released a sympathetic sigh.

* * *

 

With this new-found information, Jackson felt even more wary of Kane than ever before. He couldn't help it. He felt a rush of protectiveness consume him whenever he saw Kane in ten feet radius from Abby, and he knew it was ridiculous. Even though Jackson had been the one to treat Abby's shocklash wounds and had felt a growing animonisity towards Kane ever since, he was capable of understanding that Kane would never hurt her again, not while he looked at her like _that_. But still, in the deep, dark corner of his mind he wasn't sure if Kane was even worthy of looking at her in _any way._

He should have seen it earlier. Whenever he and Abby were in the same space, Jackson could see Kane's eyes follow her, could see the tight purse of his lips as she turned away from him, and clearly distinguished whenever Abby said something praising to him because Kane's usually somber features lit up like thousand suns. There had also been a special tenderness to the way he'd assisted Abby with her leg. He'd held her by the waist whenever she'd needed help standing up and had steered her hands to the handles of her crutches. He'd only let go when Abby's footing was the utmost secure, but he'd still have his fingers hovering near just in case she took a stumble which usually meant him staying within a foot of her at all times.

Abby hadn't seemed to mind. She'd only chuckled and shook her head when Kane had asked to help her over the shallowest of thresholds and had smiled softly at him whenever he insisted doing so anyway. But what she hadn't seen was the way Kane's fingers had curled and uncurled after releasing her arm, as if still fumbling for the feel of her thin wrists around them.

Ever since Abby's leg had healed and she had started to move around the camp without assistance, Kane had been clearly left adrift. He saw Abby whenever they ate and drafted plans in the war room together, but otherwise he didn't have any good excuses to hover near her. But still, he always seemed to find away to seek her out.

Jackson's mouth was drawn into an automatic tight line when he saw him sitting in the medbay _once again._

Kane had his eyes closed while Abby was patting a scrape on his forehead with an antiseptic cloth. The cut didn't look serious enough to warrant a visit to the medical, but Jackson supposed Kane would jam a fork to his palm if it was the only way to get himself into Abby's tender care.

"Here again, Kane?" Jackson asked coolly. "Looking for a blade so you can shave?" 

Kane opened his eyes and cast him a wounded look. Jackson knew that the beard he was growing was a sore spot for him so he naturally attempted to comment on it every time. He supposed that chipping away his confidence every now and then was a good way to remind him that he still hadn't won universal appeal even though he had somehow managed to slither into Abby's favor. 

"I hope not," Abby said, running her fingers across his face and petting his scruff. "I rather like it." 

The look in Kane's eyes was pure, beaming adoration at Abby and Jackson just knew that the man would _never_ shave again. 

"But seriously, why is he here?" Jackson asked again.

"He's hurt," Abby answered, throwing an annoyed look at him over her shoulder. "I need to tend to his cut."

"Let me take a look of it. There are plenty of other patients in the need of more dire assistance."

Another little hit. Kane looked displeased, but so did Abby. She reluctantly shifted her eyes to the multitude of other patients. Jackson noticed Kane's eyes following the sway of her hips as she moved away which made him step in front of him with a grim, professional look on his face, effectively blocking his view.

"You come see Abby a lot," he remarked, roughly placing his hands on his shoulders to take a look at his forehead.

"Do I?," Kane said, seeming frustrated at Abby's departure. He threw a quick glance over his shoulder, searching for her with his gaze. 

"You know, Kane," Jackson said, picking up a plaster. "I may not look like much of a fight for a big man like you, but with the right equipment, I could cause you _unimaginable_ pain.". 

Kane snapped his head towards Jackson in surprise. "What?"

Jackson smiled sweetly at him as if he was talking to a particularly difficult patient. "I won't allow anyone to hurt her. Especially not _you_."

It was hard to interpret his expression. On the one hand, Kane looked like he heartily agreed with the sentiment, but on the other, he looked bewildered to even be considered amongst the category of men capable of wounding her heart. He swallowed tightly.

"Jackson—"

"She is the closest thing to a mother I have. If you even much as think about breaking her heart..."

Kane looked genuinely frightened at the implication. "Maybe I should get going, it's really nothing."

But Jackson had already forcefully stamped a plaster on his forehead, making Kane hiss in pain. 

"Here you go. Anything else?"

Kane scampered up to his feet. "No, thank you. I actually have a search mission I have to go for."

Jackson nodded. If Kane wasn't on the camp gazing dreamily at Abby he was looking for Clarke which was the main reason Jackson held the man in somewhat high regard. No one else searched Clarke as relentlessly as Kane who carried out new missions almost weekly. But for Jackson, Kane's unwavering devotion was also another hint he had missed about the depth of his feelings towards Abby.

As if summoned, she hurried to them.

"Are you leaving already?"

Kane gave her a quick, coy glance. "Duty calls."

"Marcus... it has been barely three days from your last trip."

Jackson could never get used to Abby calling Kane by that name. The way she had hissed his last name all these years was too ingrained in his brain not to be startled by the softness of her voice as she breathed out his first name.

"I promised I'd bring you your daughter back."

"But—"

Kane smiled wearily at her. "Don't do this to me, you know I can't leave without your blessing."

Abby yielded and smiled, and it was not the sort of smile Jackson ever saw directed at himself. There was something so soft and adoring in her eyes Jackson felt like he was intruding by even standing near them.

"You can go," she said and laid her hands on the sides of his face. She rose up to her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his nose in a quick, playful peck.

"Umph."

That was the sound Kane made. It sounded just as ridiculous as his face looked at the moment. His eyes were so round they looked like they might bulge out of his head as he looked down at Abby's lips. She cradled his face in her hands for a long while before she caught the sight of Kane's expression and suddenly dropped them to his shoulders for the lack of a less awkward place to put them. She looked shyly down.

"Stay safe."

"I will," Kane whispered. He lifted his hand to give hers a gentle squeeze, then took a step back. 

Abby's eyes follow him as he walked out of the room. There was something wistful in her gaze as she rubbed the place where Kane's palm had just rested. When she noticed Jackson's stare, she averted her eyes and shifted her focus on sorting out the medical equipment on the table.

Jackson observed her for a while before deciding to open his mouth.

"Kane seems to get hurt a lot," he remarked.

"He's the chief of _Guard_ ," Abby said as a poignant answer to his non-question.

"It's just interesting that he spends more time in medical than the people under his command."

A chilly silence followed for some minutes as they worked separately until Jackson tut-tutted at the datapad in his hands.

"Where are you going with this?" She finally asked. 

"I can't believe I have to tell this to you—" Jackson started, stopping short because of the sheer agony of the message he never thought he'd need to utter. The next words he had to choke out. "I think Kane wants to get into your pants."

Surprisingly, Abby let out a loud cackle at that. 

"Marcus Kane, trying to get into my pants!" she laughed. "He tenses every time I do as much as brush him, you know. I wish he just knew..." She trailed off and resumed her work, clearly not willing to continue on the subject. 

"He goes hunting for you. He doesn't even take a share for himself," Jackson stated. 

Abby fumbled with the equipment, unable to meet his gaze. Because of the lack of an answer, Jackson continued.

"He spends all of his free time hunting for Clarke or making plans to find her."

That finally made her reply. "Marcus is a good friend. I'm grateful," she said with a quiet voice.

"He doesn't look at you like a friend," Jackson said with as disapproving voice as he could muster. 

That made Abby snap her head around. "Shouldn't you be working? 

"I _am_ working."

"No, you're not. You're looking at Kane's medical records."

Jackson pointed at the screen. "But seriously, who needs a visit to the medbay because of "inexplicable pain in his thumb?"

Abby snatched the datapad from his hands. "We'll talk about this later," she huffed, a red tint on her cheeks. She practically pushed him to the patients, and that was the end of the discussion for the moment. 

"Later" never came nor did the visits of the chief of Guard stop. The next morning Jackson arrived in medical only to discover that Kane had just left. The evidence of his visit was plain in sight; A vase full of flowers had appeared on the desk and Abby was running her fingers through the dark red petals with a secret, blissful little smile flickering across her features.

"I'm guessing Kane brought those," Jackson said dryly.

He could swear he saw pink patches forming on Abby's cheeks as if she had been caught red-handed doing something inappropriate. She turned to him with a sharp flash in her eyes.

"They are only medical herbs he happened to drop off."

"Never claimed anything otherwise."

Jackson's gaze raked over the flowers. Dark red. Kane was not even trying to be subtle.

Abby avoided meeting his gaze for the rest of the day, and at the end of her shift, she lifted the vase into her arms to carry it to her own quarters, away from Jackson's judgemental stare. Jackson bit back the quip "I thought those were for the medical" since Abby already seemed embarrassed enough.

Jackson was glad that Abby was becoming more aware of her own behavior when it came to Kane. Jackson hoped he had succeeding in sowing the seed of reconsideration in her. If only he kept his silent disapproval up, Kane would be swiftly but effeciently rejected in no time.

The next morning looked promising on that account. When Kane slithered into the medbay with some flimsy excuse (broken fingernail? something stuck between his teeth? Jackson could only guess), Abby immediately dashed to him and glumly dragged him to the deepest nook of the medbay where no one could overhear them. However, Kane looked only pleased, and it probably had something to do with Abby taking him by the hand to lead him. 

Bastard.

Jackson couldn't help but shuffle closer and closer to the curtains behind which Abby had taken him. It was only his duty, after all, to eavesdrop and assist Abby in case Kane got upset because of her rejection. Jackson was ready to escort him out of medical and offer him a sympathetic pat on his shoulder, only to slam the door shut to his face immediately after. 

He heard soft mumbling from behind the curtain. Taking no heed of the curious eyes of the patient to whose bedside he had moved to, he peeked behind the plastic. 

Abby was tying a bandage around Kane's wrist while furiously whispering something to him. 

"I can't let you keep doing this."

Jackson's ears pricked.

"The rest of the camp has right to fresh game too," she continued. "You can't continue giving us special treatment—"

"The game is always divided equally amongst the different sections of the camp. But what I do with my own quarry is _my decision._ It only goes to what is the most valuable to me — you.

A silence. Jackson saw color climbing up Abby's neck.

"— The medical staff", Kane added, rather awkwardly.

She continued tending to him in silence, seemingly unable to find words. After her work was finished, she rested her hand over his bandaged one, tenderly grazing her thumb over his knuckles.

"Thank you," she whispered. Kane smiled softly at her in return.

Jackson released the breath he had been holding as the realization struck him. Whatever Kane had in plans was actually _working._

* * *

The next dinner time Jackson slammed his tray in front of him on the ground. Bellamy and Gina were leaning against the rover, eyeing him with an amused glint in their eyes.

"Have you been converted to vegetarianism?" Bellamy remarked at the cube of conceleaed beans on Jackson's plate.

Jackson offered no reply, just poked his food with a fork, trying to ignore his rumbling belly. 

"Is it some sort of a statement against Kane?" Bellamy asked, mirth spilling from his eyes. "Here, have something to wash it down with," he said, offering him a flask from his pocket.

Jackson accepted it with gratitude. But as he took a gulp, the alcohol burned his throat and made his eyes water. It was a struggle not to spit it out immediately, but Jackson supposed he'd have to learn how to handle his moonshine anyway if whatever Kane and Abby had would go on for much longer. He then shoved a forkful of beans in his mouth and immediately grimaced. Even the liquor had a better taste.

Bellamy sighed. "If you are so against the fact that Kane is wooing your work mom, there have to be better ways to demonstrate it than eating that crap." 

"Is that what this is about?" Gina asked.

Bellamy smirked and leaned over to his girlfriend. "Jackson here is protesting the blossoming romance between our Chancellors. His first-rate methods are disapproving looks, and the classic, silent treatment. Apparently, political vegetarianism is now a part of his repertoire."

Gina laughed. "Bon appétit, doc."

Jasper, who was casually draped over the hood of the rover, quickly grew interested in the conversation. "Speaking of our two lovebirds, who wants to bet two days' rations that ma'am Chancellor has a new ring in her finger by the end of the year?"

Bellamy and his girlfriend both snorted at that. "Good luck finding some half-witted enough to bet against _that_."

"I would," Jackson muttered and rose from his seat. "And I'm not even that hungry."

"C'mon, we didn't mean it like that —" Bellamy attempted but broke down in chuckles at his sullen reaction. "You're not half-witted."

"Your unwavering denialism is, in fact, admirable," Gina added.

Jackson rolled his eyes and started walking away from them. He halted, however, when faced with a rather surprising sight. 

Kane and Abby were arguing by the gates. They were shouting at each other, pointing fingers and looking very much like they wanted to grab each other by the the throat. Eventually, Kane dragged his fingers through his hair in an exasperated manner and turned his back to her, barking commands to his men. Abby fell into step after him and continued yelling. Kane wrenched his head around and said something to Abby through gritted teeth which only made her spit out something so hateful that all color drained from his face.

"Trouble in paradise," Bellamy muttered as they watched Kane tug on his backpack and stalk out of the gates with his men, leaving Abby fuming in his wake.

"You know what, Jasper? I'll take that bet," Gina said and shook Jasper's slack hand. The boy was looking utterly dumbfounded at the sight. Only then Jackson become aware that he had a slight smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

After the situation had calmed down and Abby had sat down, her face bruried in her hands, Jackson dared to approach her with the flask in his hands.

"Kane giving you trouble?" Jackson asked while seating himself down, passing it to her. She accepting his offering with a weak smile stretching her lips.

"I think I forgot how much of an utter, stubborn bastard he can be sometimes," Abby said, raising the flask to her lips.

"Tell me about."

It was just like the old times. Abby ranted about Kane while Jackson smiled and nodded, occasionally quipping something about him which always made Abby giggle. (God, he loved her laugh). Even his old Kane impression worked like charm. When he slicked back his hair, set his jaw and said "I'm afraid I have to arrest you, Dr. Griffin. You have violated the law by curing patients of their illnesses, Dr. Griffin. Don't you know that chickenpox is the way we save humanity, Dr. Griffin?" Abby started guffawing so hard she had to bend over.

Even the food tasted better when he could actually enjoy it in the company he preferred.They remained talking until the campfire was put out and people started to migrate towards their bunks. Abby, however, had no intention of rising from her seat.

"Aren't you going to bed?" Jackson asked with his brow knotted.

Abby took another sip from the flask whose contents had been steadily diminishing throughout the night. "Don't worry, I'm just going to just sit here a bit longer and enjoy the silence."

"Alright, but not for too long," Jackson said and gave her shoulder an affectionate rub. Abby offered a lopsided, slightly tipsy grin at him. Jackson briefly considered taking the flask away from her, but then decided against it. Abby deserved to have at least one night of relaxation.

But as Jackson moved farther away from her, he glanced over his shoulder and saw that her face had fallen when he had disappeared out of her sight. She was staring intently at the entrance of the camp, and after glancing at his watch Jackson realized that Kane's scouting party was a little late.

He was slightly disappoined at Abby's hyper-awareness of Kane's absence, but pushed that thought into the back of his mind and went to sleep. 

He woke up some hours later for his night shift and started tugging on his scrubs when he decided that he should check if Abby had actually went to sleep. He walked to Chancellor's quarters and creaked the door open when his knock received no answer. The bed was empty. Concern filling him, he rushed to check the medbay. Abby wasn't there either. He ran though the mess hall and, bedrudgingly, looked even into _Kane's_ room only to catch no glimpse of her.

Finally, he stepped outside to yard only to see Abby asleep on the spot he had left her, a mere shawl as her blanket. Shame flooded his chest and constricted his airway. He should have forced her to go to her quarters or at least wait with her until the scouting party came back. Luckily, it was reasonably warm night, but even the thought of her risking a frostbite because of _Kane's tardiness_ twisted his insides in a knot. 

He was just about to go to Abby when the gates opened and a group of weary men entered the camp, Kane amongst them. At the same time, immense relief and red-hot anger rushed into his body. The man ought to feel ashamed for keeping Abby up so long and even making Jackson worry for her sake. 

Jackson intended to march to him and spout some poignant words before noticing that Kane had caught the sight of Abby. He shrugged off his backpack and rushed to her side, concern evident on his face.

He carefully wrapped his arms around her small body and lifted her off the ground. Jackson saw him tug off his jacket and wrap it around her in order to get her warm and comfortable. He then cradled her against his chest, causing Abby's head to fall on the crook of his neck. Kane smiled weakly at that, pushing some locks off from her forehead while whispering something to her.

The men Kane had brought with him stared at the sight with unabashed curiousity which made Kane shoot a glare at them. The next words were loud enough for Jackson to hear them: "While I take the Chancellor to her room, you find out who was supposed to be on guard duty on the yard tonight and _hand them to me_."

The men scattered out to execute his order, allowing Kane to hoist Abby up in his arms and carry her inside. He walked straight past Jackson who had hidden in the shadows in order to observe his actions. Now Jackson deemed it an appropriate time to interrupt. He cleared his throat, giving Kane a start.

"Jackson," he yelped, turning around to face him.

"Kane," Jackson said coolly in return while Kane adjusted Abby in his arms, seemingly nervous. It was interesting that Jackson's presence had started to affect him in that way.

"Where were you?"

Jackson saw Kane's adam's apple bop as he swallowed. "I thought — I thought I had a lead on Clarke. We searched through an area in the woods on our way back. But she wasn't there."

"Abby fell asleep waiting for you."

"I know." His voice was heavy with shame as she looked down at Abby, her head resting on his shoulder.

"If you're trying to curry her favor with these kind of stunts —"

Kane looked up to him, his features deadly serious with rigid lines around his mouth and eyes. "Listen now, Jackson. She has my full devotion and protection. I'm not offering anything more and I ask of _nothing of her_ in return."

Jackson was genuinely surprised at that, but before being able to consider his words further his attention was quickly captured by Abby stirring in Kane's arms. She started fluttering her eyes open, a languid smile spreading across her face when she saw in whose arms she was.

"Marcus," she murmured. Kane smiled softly at her in return.

"Just close your eyes. You need to sleep," he said. 

"You — you are so in trouble," she hiccuped, and Kane's eyes widened at the drunken tone of her voice. He shot a deadly glare at Jackson who lifted his hands defensively. He might have given her the flask, but he certainly wasn't her babysitter. He just hadn't expected her to gulp down all of that moonshine.

"I can take it from here," Jackson offered as Abby started slurring something incomprehensible to Kane and poked at his chest with her finger. Jackson grabbed at Kane's arm, trying to coax him to release Abby, but that only spared him a sharp look.

"It's alright, I can do it."

"I know she'd prefer me to do it."

"Jackson— "

Their chilly exchange was interrupted by Abby's giggles. She nuzzled her nose against Kane's neck. "I don't think Jackson approves of us very much" she whispered. 

Kane looked partly amused, partly flustered at that. "I wasn't aware that there was an _us_."

"I think you want there to be," Abby drawled, hooking her arms around his neck. "Fine. Even if yo—  you are damned mule sometimes."

Kane was rendered speechless. It didn't took much of an effort from Jackson to get him to release Abby after that, although she still kept clinging to his neck and smiling while Kane looked helplessly down at her. "Hmmm. But you need get Jackson's blessing if you want to court me. Until then," she said and smacked a big wet kiss on the corner of his mouth. At that point Jackson was able to take a hold of her and drape her hand around his shoulder.

"I'll make sure she gets safely to her room," Jackson said to Kane, although the man didn't seem to register one word, so lost to the world he appeared while rubbing the spot Abby had kissed.

Jackson started dragging Abby after him while she kept giggling and glancing over shoulder at Kane's dumbfounded expression.

"He's in love with me," she said and burst into laughter like it was the funniest sentence she had ever uttered in her life. 

"Uh-huh."

Abby tried to regain her composure, not very convincingly as her steps faltered and some giggles were still escaping from between her lips. "But seriously Jackson, there's no cause for no concern. It's not like _that_ between us."

"It's not?"

"No, not at all. I'm just  _a little_ in love with him in return."

"Just a little," Jackson repeated, unable to fight a thin smile from stretching his lips.

"Just a little," Abby said and showed with her thumb and forefinger how infinitesimal her infatuation truly was. Then her eyes widened in a horrifying realization. "Don't tell Marcus!"

"Trust me, I won't."

Jackson escorted her to her bed and tucked her in, happy to see his dearest friend doze off almost immediately. He then collapsed on the chair on her bedside and let out an exasperated sigh.

Maybe there were worse men out there than Kane, people who would treat Abby far more poorly. It comforted Jackson a little that it truly seemed like Kane would ask nothing of her nor even dare to do so. He didn't deserve her —  but who did?

Jackson laid a look at Abby's peaceful, sleeping form and gave a tired smile at the sight. If Kane only could make her happy, none of that mattered.

But that didn't mean Jackson wouldn't still let him suffer in the limbo of his repressed feelings for Abby as long as possible.

_Bastard._


End file.
